Judaism

In his later years Dr. Joseph H. Berke grew close to Judaism which resulted in various publications and work including his annual Tu B'Shvat Seder and a regular seminar on the intersections of psychotherapy and Jewish mystical teachings

Joe was born into a Jewish family that followed Judaism in the Conservative tradition. Growing up he attended the synagogue of the renowned Rabbi Prinz, who was an inspirational mentor and father like figure to Joe. 

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As a young man, despite a secular lifestyle, being Jewish remained important to Joe. He attended the Einstein Medical School. His first wife, poet and broadcaster Roberta Elvey, converted to Reform Judaism and he educated his children about their Jewish heritage, which remains important to them to this day. 

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Later in life, Joe became more religious. He met the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, on several occasions; meetings which had significant impact on his life. In 1991 Joe met Shree Berke, a psychotherapist with a deep interest in the spiritual side of life. They married in 1993 in Jerusalem and Joe was keen to have an orthodox wedding, with several prominent Chabad Chassidic Rabbis involved in the proceedings. 

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For Joe, the intersection between Judaism and Psychotherapy was an important one into which he invested significant scholarly effort. In the 1990s Joe undertook hosting a monthly meeting of psychotherapists and healers who, together with Chassidic scholars Dr Naftali Loewenthal and Rabbi Shmuel Lew, studied Kabbalistic texts such as Tanya, exploring intersections with psychotherapeutic ideas and practices. He hosted these meetings right up until his passing, with the final meeting he organised taking place after he had already passed. Also, from the early 2000s he met weekly with Chabad Chassidic spiritual mentor Rabbi Mendel Gordon to study complex Chabad Kabbalistic texts where he investigated the mystical meaning of Mitzvot, Jewish festivals and Kabbalistic frameworks around creation, discovering and synergising many connections with psychotherapy. He published several works to these ends, including in 2008 the book Centers of Power: The Convergence of Psychoanalysis and Kaballah and, in 2015, the book The Hidden Freud: His Hassidic Roots. 

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Joe had a strong love for Israel. In the final 25 years of his life, together with his wife Shree, he would visit Israel often; usually twice a year for the festivals of Succot and Shavuot. In 2010 Joe was awarded residency at Mishkenot Sha'ananim in Jerusalem. Overlooking the walls of the Old City, this guesthouse is reserved for renowned artists and scholars visiting Israel; serving as an oasis of ideational cross pollination and creativity. From 2010, Joe and Shree would stay throughout their visits. In his final years, Joe contemplated his earthly connections and decided his final resting place will be in Israel, where he is now buried, in Modi'in. 

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Jewish festivals were very important to Joe, and he celebrated each one in unique style, drawing from them tremendous personal and philosophical meaning which he would often joyously share with friends and family. He had a special place in his heart for Tu Bi'Shvat, the Jewish New Year for Trees. Together with his wife Shree, they would invite friends and family to their annual Tu Bi'Shvat Seder where they would assemble every available variety of fruit with gusto for the special blessings, and would plant a new tree. Over the years Joe collected numerous segments, readings and illustrations for the Seder and in his final years he compiled these as the Highgate Haggadah: Tu B'Shevat Seder, which in 2019 he published under the name Joseph ben Joseph, in memory of his father.